Brake-operating mechanism.



N. KROHN.

BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED. JULY I9. I915.

1,175Q64I3. Patented Mar. 14, 19 16.

THB wLUMaIA PLANOORAFH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

NELS KROHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS & VVESTLAKE 3 COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. it, rain.

Application filed July 19, 1915. Serial No. 40,724.

To-aZZ. whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, NELS KROHN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to mechanism for operating the brakes of railway cars, and is of the ratchet type.

.The objects of the invention are to provide a construction whereby the initial movement of the operating handle in a direction to wind up the brakes will cause the: relative engagement of the ratchet elements,the device being provided with manually controlled means for preventing such engagement; and for providing automatic means for disengaging the ratchet elements upon the complete retraction of .the operating handle.

A form of embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the-accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail elevation of the brake operating mechanism; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

.The brake staff is shown at 10, and acommon form of holding pawl and ratchet mechanism is represented at 11. ,The'upper end of the staff is journaled in a box 12, preferably formed integral with a bracket plate 13, adapted to be attached to a part of the car. An oscillatable casing 14 is mounted upon the upper end of the staif, beingsupported by the box 12. As shown, a flange 15, extending outwardly from the box, provides a wide bearing for the casing, and this flange is provided with an upstanding annular shoulder 16, fitting within an aperture in the bottom of the casing. The top wall 17 of the casing is apertured to fit snugly and turn upon the staff.

A ratchet 18 is fixed upon the stafi'and'inclosed within the casing 14. A pawl 19, inclosed within the casing and pivoted thereto, as shown at 20, cooperates with the ratchet 18 for turning the staff in the direction for setting up the brake by means of a chain 21, secured to the staff in the usual manner, the pawl sliding freely over the ratchet teeth when-the casing. is moved .in the reverse or retracting direction.

An operating handle 22 is attached to the pawl 19, and projects through a suitable aperture in the casing 14,--this aperture 23 being of suflicient width to allow lateral play of the handle for the purpose of rocking the pawl on its pivot. The handle and pawl are rigidly connected. For convenience in assembling they are preferably made separately, the pawl being socket'ed to receive the end of the handle and a screw 24 being set through the two parts to secure them together. The aperture in the bottom wall of the casing which receives the shoulder 16 is of sufficient size to admit of insertion of the pawl therethrough. As thus organized, upon the initial advance movement of the handle 22 the pawl is thrown into engagement with the ratchet, the friction between the casing and staff being greater than the friction of the pawl on its pivot. Further movement of the handle will turn the staff for winding up the brake. Upon the retraction of the handle the pawl will be thrown out of engagement with the ratchet, or will click over the; teeth thereof.

In order to provide for the gradual release of the brake, a latch 25, in the form of a bell-crank, is attached to the handle 22 and is connected by means of a link rod 26 with the casing 14,being attached thereto, as shown at 27 ,at the rearward side of the pawl pivot 20 with reference to the brakesetting movement of the handle. Movement of the latch 25 to strain the rod 26 will move the handle with reference to the casing in the retracting direction, and disengage the pawl from the-ratchet, allowing the handle tobeswung freely in the advance direction for the purpose of permitting the reengagement of the pawl with the ratchet, and enabling the operator to partially release the brake after first disengaging the holding mechanism 11.

After the brake has been set it is desirable that the setting mechanism be disengaged to permit the release of the brake by manipulation only of the holding means 11. To this end the backward movement of the casing 24 is limited by a stop 28 which may be formed on the bracket 13, further backward pressure on the handle throwing the pawl away from the ratchet. Any suitable means may be providedv for holding the han- V dle when thusfully retracted, For this pose a hook 29. is shown, and is so disposed that the handle engages it asit reaches the limit of itsmovement. 7

While the element l l is shown and described as a casing, it is obvious that its prin-' cipal function of carrying the pawl is not v dependent upon its box-like form. This shape is, however, of advantage in that it.

constitutes a housing for the ratchet mechanism, and its top fits and turns upon the staff. a

While buta single exemplification-of the invention is shown, I do not desire to be limitedthereto, as any construction coming within the terms of the appended claims is intended to be included as being within their scope.

I claim as my invention 1. In brake operating mechanism, in combination, a staii, a ratchet fixed on the staff,

an oscillatable element pivoted'on the axis of'the ,stalf,a pawl pivotally mounted on such element to swing into and out of en gagement with the ratchet and in the plane thereof, and a handle attached to the pawl.

2. In brake operating mechanism, in com bination, a staff, a ratchet fixed on the stafi, an oscillatable element pivoted on the axis of the staff, a pawl pivotally mounted on for limiting the backward movement of the' oscillatable'element, and means for engaging the handle for holding the pawl away from the ratchet when the handle is fully retracted.

4:. A staff, a ratchet fixed 0n the staff, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 1,175,643 H H H casing inclosing the I oscillatable about the staff, a pawl pivoted within the casing for cooperating with the ratchet, and

a handle fixed to'the pawl and projecting .through an aperture in the casing of greater width than tlie'thickness of the handle.

A staff, a ratchetfixed on the staff,

casing inc'losing the ratchet and 'oscillatable about the staff, a pawl pivoted within the p j casing for cooperating with the rat chet,,a handle fixed to 'tlie*pawlf and'projecting through an aperture in the casing of greater 'width than the thickness of the handle, and

a lever fulcru-med on the handle andbeing connected with the'casing.

v 6. A staff, a ratchet fixed on the'stafl, an 7 element oscillatable about the staff, a pawl o pivoted upon such element for cooperating with theratchet'and provided with a handle, a lever pivoted to the'handle, anda link connecting the lever with the oscillatable ele-" ment. 1 g Y 7. In brake operating mechanism, in combination, a stafha ratchet fixed on the staff, an oscillatable element pivoted on the axis of the stafi, a pawl-oscillatably mounted on such element to swing into and out of'en gagement'with the ratchet and in the plane thereof, and a handle attached to the pawl.

8. In a brake operating mechanism, in combination, a staff, a ratchet fixed on the staff, an oscillatable element pivoted on the.

axis of the staff, a pawl cooperating with the ratchet and'being pivotally mounted on the oscillatable elementto swing in the plane of the ratchet, and a handle attached to the 9. In brake operating mechanism, in combination, a staff, a ratchet fixed on the staff,

an oscillatable element 'p'ivoted on the axis of the stafi, a pawl cooperating with the" ratchet and being oscillatably mounted on the oscillatable element to swing in the'plane of theratchet, and" a handle attached to the a pawl.

five cents each, by addressing theflconimissioner of Patents,.

Washington, D. O.

" NELS KnoHN; I 

